This invention relates to a process to mitigate or "knockdown" hydroscopic chemical vapor or aerosol clouds, and more particularly, to such a process utilizing a gas atomized water spray of a predetermined droplet size.
Heretofore, it has been common to combat certain chemical vapor or aerosol clouds with a water spray. While a percentage of the droplets in various chemical aerosol clouds fall or drop to the surface or ground near the release of the aerosol, a substantial percentage of the droplets in a chemical aerosol cloud float substantial distances downwind. In the event hazardous chemicals are involved, it is desirable to have as much of the aerosol cloud as possible to fall on the ground at the release point.
Catastrophic sprayouts or emissions of toxic and hazardous chemicals present a serious threat to surrounding communities. Many of these chemical aerosol clouds are soluble in water and can be mitigated upon release through the use of water sprays. However, water sprays heretofore have been only partially effective and oftentimes have resulted in a long range fallout of the contaminated water spray as water droplets have not had maximum surface contact with the chemical droplets to cause a fallout.